The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) recognized the achievements of its 2024 Summer Quarter graduates during the school’s latest commencement ceremony on Sept. 27 at King Hall Auditorium.
Dr. James Newman, acting vice president, provost and chief academic officer of NPS, provided the keynote remarks for the class of 202 graduates, including 27 international students from 10 countries. Newman, a former NASA astronaut, served as chair of NPS’ Space Systems Academic Group (SSAG) before taking over as acting provost of NPS earlier this year.
“Graduation is one of the passages of life that celebrates the achievement of learning, and graduate school emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning,” Newman said. “This celebration deserves the attention and respect that is being shown today. The number of people who have worked at NPS and in the military services, in the civilian agencies and in our many countries to ensure that you have had this opportunity is a testament to the importance that we all attach to your success here.”
Newman emphasized the importance of cooperation and collaboration between the U.S. and its partners and allies, referencing his own NASA experience as well as a recent NPS guest lecture by former Secretary of Defense and retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis.
“During my previous career as a civilian NASA astronaut, I was privileged to work with outstanding officer and civilian astronauts, not only from America, but also from our international partner countries. So I understood when General Mattis recently said in this room: ‘Allies, allies, allies,’” he said. “The details of our core beliefs may differ, but I believe we share some common themes about commitment and country that bind us across military services, civilian agencies, and our many countries.”
Retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, president of NPS, echoed Newman’s sentiments on international collaboration in her own remarks.
“One of the strategic imperatives by the White House, both parties in Congress, by our SECDEF (Secretary of Defense), our Chairman (of the Joint Chiefs), all of those leaders, is they have said that allies are the most important asset for the United States military,” Rondeau said. “So none of us are as strong as all of us.”
As an example, Rondeau highlighted last year’s successful NPS Regional Alumni Symposium in Singapore, the first event of its kind. The Summer Quarter graduation took place just days before the opening of the second Regional Alumni Symposium, which will be held in Garmisch, Germany – an acknowledgment of the European partners and allies who have sent their best to study at NPS through the years.
One of those European students, Estonian Land Forces Maj. Ivo Peets, recently received his certificate in Advanced Acquisition Studies. Peets attended NPS while working towards his doctoral degree as part of a unique collaboration between Estonia and its international peers.
"My focus is on defense planning, force development, and military technology," said Peets, a senior planning officer for the Estonian Defence Forces. "The experience gained here has been beyond my expectations, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of the NPS family."
Peets noted that some of the results of his work have already been put into practice.
"In Estonia, we have begun implementing changes in how we conduct force planning and acquisition," Peets said. "I believe the knowledge gained here will be of much use in my future work, especially in continuing to coordinate force planning initiatives in the Estonian Defence Forces."
The Summer Quarter graduation ceremony also followed a milestone – the 100th graduating class from the educational partnership between NPS and the Naval War College (NWC), which took place Sept. 19. More than 7,100 students have earned their Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase I certification since the partnership’s inception in 1999.
During his graduation remarks, Newman offered a few entertaining anecdotes from his days as an astronaut, including his four missions aboard the Space Shuttle. But he also reminded the graduates to think about their accomplishments at NPS – as well as the importance of what they have learned and how they will apply that knowledge in the months and years ahead.
“What you have done during your time at NPS matters now and into the future,” Newman said. “Taking critical thinking skills and advanced education, often with an academic contribution of immediate or future impact back to your community, is so important.”
For more information about this latest class and to watch the full ceremony, visit the NPS Graduation website at https://nps.edu/graduation.